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Clearing up some confusion as to when our last issue of Batwoman is to be published…

It’s this week in Batwoman issue 24. The big showdown between Batwoman and Batman kicks off this issue. And was going to run into the next 2 issues, a real knockdown heavy hitting battle. This issue was only the first part of it.

I’m depressed over this a bit. And frustratingly the issue will give no arc conclusion, or conclusion to our run. We apologize to you readers for that. It wasn’t what we wanted to happen.

Issue 24 was already written and being drawn by the time fallout came from our decision to leave the title. There had already been an issue 25 written by us and turned in, but at this point I don’t think this will ever be published. Issue 26 was to be the final chapter of the arc and is left unwritten by us currently. So DC isn’t publishing the end of the arc. Or at least not in any way we intended. If there is ever an offering of a conclusion to the last 7 months of storytelling, it most likely will be by the hands of others, and we have no idea how exactly that direction will proceed.

What saddens me about it is that our issue 26 two months from now would have ended in a place that would serve as an adequate end cap to our run in a lot of ways. We knew how we were going to wrap things by issue 26, and felt we would have done so in a satisfying manner, or so we hoped. There was SO much stuff going to happen, some crazy reveals, the reveal of Bones’ past, just how he connects to Kate and Beth Kane, and a confrontation with Jacob Kane and his Murder Of Crows. Batwoman having the final throw-down with Batman. We were going to give large plot points on how Beth became Alice. Bette Kane a.k.a. Hawkfire shocked and horrified by something Alice/Beth does during the rescue mission. Ultimately bring the entire family to some form of a beginning to heal, and how Maggie would fit into all of this. Chase, seeing the horrors of what Director Bones is doing, was going to cause her to make a radical decision that would forever change her life. This was all set up after altering a major plot point to suit DC’s needs. We would’ve been able to end our run at good spot for the next creative team. But that must only be happening in some parallel world. So the first 7 issues of this fourth arc will leave the story in a sort of limbo and not fully resolved, at least by us.

So I guess we have to say goodbye to Batwoman for real now. We love you Kate.

Putting out your issue 24 is absolutely the least DC could do for us fans. Funny that one day I was griping about Alice not getting a “Villain Month” issue, then the next I learned about your painful, awkward, and above all too-soon ouster from the title. Keep doing your amazing work and your fans will always follow. Personally, I have my eye on an autographed Promethea #1 that I think might be at a comic book convention I’m attending this weekend…

I decided to stop reading Batwoman at the end of your run. I was heartbroken when I learned you were leaving, and more so when I learned DC wouldn’t be letting you finish the current arc. I’m sure it would have been amazing. I hate things being left in a cliffhanger, but I can’t bring myself to read what will be the new resolution. I dislike the new 52 and have been reading only a very few of the new 52 titles. This whole mess makes me very sad.

Good luck with your future endeavors. I’ll be looking forward to reading what you do next.

I know it’s unlikely, due to professional concerns, but is there any chance that at some point in the future, we’d get to hear what you’d intended the revelations/plot resolutions to be?

Regardless, Batwoman has been my absolute favorite superhero title for the past 24 issues. I even cosplayed as her for SDCC this year. So thank you for your amazing work, and I’m really looking forward to Sandman.

I can’t thank you and Haden enough for what has been a truly thrilling, emotionally-charged and visually rich saga – its been the standout of the New 52, along with Batman, Animal Man, Frankenstein and I,Vampire (as titles go, thats great company). Kate Kane’s adventures won’t be the same without your invaluable input! I feel you guys were short-changed by DC- why not let you finish to ensure the story’s integrity? I hope, for the company’s sake, that it wasn’t spite on their part. Anyway, I’ve had my rant. I’ll be following your work on Overture. Williams visuals with Gaiman words? A match made in heaven! Your Australian fan, James.

“I know it’s unlikely, due to professional concerns, but is there any chance that at some point in the future, we’d get to hear what you’d intended the revelations/plot resolutions to be?” — Ditto from me. I’m still flabbergasted at how DC handled this. Eager to get your other work, regardless. Hugs and God bless.

Hey there Knightfire
There was no way we could have written the final arc chapter, as DC had already decided to pull it from us. They could have even published issue 25 with the second to last chapter, it was written by us already, but they chose not do that. The day DC announced the decision to take away our final two issues was the day I was sitting down to start writing issue 26, the final chapter, and we found that out via the internet. If we had waited till issue 26 was written already to resign, such a short production time would not have allowed DC any time to make plans for issue 27. Which really would not have been fair to them for us to do that. I can see how you might look at it the way you are, that is okay. I’ll simply say it was not our choice to leave the story hanging with issue 24, we always intended to finish the arc at 26, then move on, but those last two issues were removed from us. That is where we didn’t get a choice in the matter of finishing the arc. Don’t know if that makes it any clearer for you or not, but not much else can be said really.

I am still amazed at the lack of respect for the readers that DC has,i’m sad that we won’t see the end of the arc Batwoman was one of the rare superhero comic that seemed to ba a labor of love and to have the company pull it from you in the middle of a story seems like petty vengeance for me.
I feel bad for the next creative team that will have to deal with this as they will be put in the very difficult position to try and follow up on a cliffhanger i love the character but i hate the fact that she i stuck with a company that does bot seem to care about the people who work for them.
Thanks a lot for a beautiful run on what was one of the best superhero comics out there really looking forward to sandman and any other projects you will have in the future.
I’ve also put a link to my Batwoman gallery on comic art fans take a look if you want.
And again thank you and Haden for a great series
Pat.

A long shot, I know, but is there any chance the scripts for 25 and 26 could be posted? I’ve been following Kane’s development since 52 through Detective through the New 52 and am crushed I may never know what was intended.

I originally bought the books to see how uou were goibg to write the character, as a lesbian I often come across portrayals of lesbians in fiction which appear to have been written purely to be salacoius and for male readers. I loved your portrayal and continued buying the books. I was really disappointed when I read why you were leaving early. I am also disappointed that I wont see how you wanted the story to end. In all probability I wont be getting anymore Batwoman once you finish as I feel DC has made a statement that my lifestyle isnt as important to portray all aspects that it would do if I was hetrosexual.

I was so heartbroken when I heard you guys were leaving. And I was even more devastated when I found out that this was your last issue, cause reports before said that you guys were still up ’til December. So my heart broke into a million pieces. I loved the work you guys did and everything was just so beautiful up until the end. Someone suggested over the internet that they should release Batwoman 25 and 26 as like part of an omnibus or something. And though farfetched, it’s actually a good idea and I’m sure that that book would sell so much and make DC 10 times richer. (which means that they should totally do it).

But in the meantime, the broken pieces of my heart go out to you both and will continue loving your beautiful run. Because even if the big guys ask us to stop, we will put our hands at their throats and say, “No.”

I’m just gutted that DC wouldn’t give you and Haden (not to mention the readers and Kate Kane herself) the respect you deserve by allowing you to finish your arc. Issue #24 was incredible, and I’m sure the ending would have been an amazing cap to your amazing run.

I’m sorry everything ended this way. But I hope you know and appreciate how much this book has meant to fans. Thank you for writing Kate with the sensitivity, honor, and integrity she deserves. She’d expect no less, and you never let her down.

Best of luck with all your future creative endeavors. I know I’m not alone when I say I’ll follow your work for as long as you choose to create it. Looking forward to Sandman and everything that lies beyond.

Can you tell us how it was all going to end? For many of us, that will be the real ending, even if we don’t get to see it in fully drawn and dialogued form. Unless there’s a tiny bit of hope that future regime change at DC will allow you to put it out years from now, in which case many of us will wait as patiently as we are able for the real ending to come out…

If not, um, where’s a good “stopping place” for your run to get as much of a sense of completeness/closure as possible?

(God, I’m so mad at DC for pulling this crap. It smacks of meanness and spite.)

Oh man. I feel devastated, so I can only imagine how you feel JHW3. Thank you for your amazing work on Batwoman.. Kate is the first superhero that I feel like I deeply care about and your artwork and writing completely sucked me into her life.

At least know that you ended your run on the most bad-ass amazing page ever, even if it was two issues early.

I know I got the news late, but I, too, am so frustrated with the whole lot of people that admire your and Blackman’s work with Batwoman. I’m a relatively new reader of Batwoman (actually came to know your of work with Batwoman through your work on The Black Glove w/ Morrison) and immediately fell completely in awe of your portrayal of Batwoman, so sad of finding out about your work so late, but more glad that I did.

After reading what you have written about your leave as well as DiDio’s unreasonable statement on how the Bat-family or hero/heroines should be run, I completely stand by your decision to leave Batwoman. It is so clear how much your care and love Batwoman, I respect you even further with this decision and know you’ll continue being an incredible illustrator and writer for years to come.

Hey JHW3,
I’m mortified. I had fallen behind in recent months and just found out about this whole BW debacle now. I’ve been following your work since Detective Comics run with Greg Rucka and KK was by far my favorite character to read. You are the best artist in the biz imo. I’m so sad to see you guys leaving the character and especially in this way. DC has been disappointing me time and time again with me dropping book after book due to stupid decisions, and now they’ve messed with my favorite. I’m debating dropping them all together.

Anyway, just wanted to say that your work was fantastic and it always kept me wishing for next months issue. I will definitely be following your future work. Goodluck.

Dammit!!! I reside in Brazil and here they’re publishing the world’s finest arc, and I just can’t wait to see the battle of the bats. I’m really disappointed by you leaving Batwoman without ending this plot, but I hope you can do a equal work on everything you write and draw. You just B-A-D-A-S-S!!!

I am so sad I could cry. Batwoman was the last DC book on my pulllist because, as others have stated, the rest of the New 52 is such a chaotic, bumbling mess with some of the least interesting storytelling I’ve ever read in a comic book. I first discovered Batwoman after Elegy came out in hardcover. I bought it for my brother for his birthday. I borrowed it from him later that month and he almost didn’t get it back. I distinctly remember passing up Detective Comics Kate first took over thinking, ugh, seriously? But after I read Elegy, I was hooked. I went back and got all of the original issues and then went back and pulled every other issue she was in that I could find. I bought every issue Kate was in that I could find: 52, Countdown to Final Crisis, Final Crisis, Justice League: Cry for Justice. I love her. She became my favorite comic book character. I was devastated to hear the news that you all were leaving, but I totally understand why you had to. I was one of the people bugging comic shop folks every week after issue 0 came out back in 2010. And then it kept getting pushed back and pushed back… and then I noticed all of my other DC books (Teen Titans, Outsiders, Red Robin, Batman and Robin, etc) where coming to these abrupt and wholly unsatisfying conclusions. But I stuck with it because I wanted to read Kate’s story as you guys were going to tell it and I was hungry for it. And you didn’t disappoint. I didn’t know it was ending early until after I bought #25. There are so many things I want to say to DC folks in general (and, in light of his recent comments on the subject, Dan Didio in particular) and I wanted to say it in tear-stained, profanity-laden letters. But your team has been so gracious about all of this– far more gracious than DC Comics higher-ups deserve. So I’ve decided to take your lead. I’m done. DC doesn’t get any more of my money or time, or what really bordered on devotion. Wishing the best of luck to you, Mr. Williams, and to Mr. Blackman and all the rest of the Batwoman crew. Thank you for giving us a character we could identify with and root for regardless of our backgrounds. Thank you for creating a character we could love. Thank you.

Hello Erica Lonesome
Thanks for such a touching and heartfelt statement. And thank you for reading our work so avidly. We wish it had a different outcome at the end, obviously. But ultimately it was out of our control at that point. Stay tuned to this site for developments as to things we’ll be doing next. Take care and have great holiday.

Hello. First of all , Merry X-mas to you and your family . I hope you had a great time togheter. Since Elegy , Kate has been my favorite female character . She showed the world how strong women are , and how important family is . Next Tuesday , DC will publish the start of the new writer´s run on the title , and I´m nervous. I´m nervous of what may happen to Kate and to the title , nervous of the direction in which the book will go , nervous of how the new writer may write Kate and co. I´m scared that he will constantly mark the fact that she´s gay , and so , the story would loose strenght. I´ve been following Kate since her first issue in Detective Comics , so it would be hard for me to say goodbye to her , in case I drop the book. Sir, I feel that the story that you and Mr.Blackman wrote is too good to be left unfinished. I don´t know how you will respond to this , but not only me , but ALL of your readers need to know the ending to “This Blood is Thick” . DC has finally done it : they ruined their best book.
PD : I´m going to miss the way you drew Batwoman. It was amazing.
Batwoman forever !

I’ve only just gotten around to reading Batwoman 25 and 26, and it’s only just sunk in that you’ve left the title and that we’ll never get a conclusion to the Batwoman/Batman feud. Your leaving is such a devastating loss for the title and for DC in general, you guys truly created something amazing with Batwoman, something that I don’t think can be replicated. Up until this point it had been my favourite DC title. I’m incredibly sad to see you both go, you will be sorely missed.

I can’t help but smell a prank for the start of April Fools. Though, it would not shock me if you guys actually did print it, on the web, in cluoor, for free, and start the whole marketing campaign on April Fool’s Day just to be pricks about it.Guess I check back tomorrow and find out…